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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · 7d

The October edition of #TFINYW breaks the record with 22 dubious trailers this month, including lame horror, insipid rom-coms, and shameless Oscar bait!

This Film Is Not Yet Watchable - October 2025 actuallypaid.com/2025/10/04/t...

This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – October 2025

If there’s a positive way to spin the events of this year to date, it would be to consider 2025 to be about facing new challenges and persevering. After 13 months without work, I have today c…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · 12d

#OneBattleAfterAnother is an expert mix of dark comedy and poignant political messaging, easily one of the best films of the year!

Hail St. Nick! - One Battle After Another actuallypaid.com/2025/09/28/h...

Hail St. Nick! – One Battle After Another

When I was a kid, I did my best to learn as much as possible about everything I could. My grandmother even had a full set of Encyclopedia Americana that I pored over from time to time. I took the o…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · 22d

In better times, my job is to write trivia and content for game shows. Even if things pick up again, I'm genuinely dreading an era where I have to write questions about Trump like he's The Leader of the Movementarians.

a cartoon character is sitting in a helicopter with bags of money hanging from it

ALT: a cartoon character is sitting in a helicopter with bags of money hanging from it

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · 25d

Trump started the day overjoyed that Bob Woodward died... then he found out it was just the guy who played him, then he got really confused when Vance tried to explain the difference and took an angry nap vowing revenge against Bob and his Discount Furniture.

I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · 27d

The Latest #BackRowThoughts column looks at three anime (or anime-inspired) films that may or may not compete for the Animated Feature Oscar next year!

Back Row Thoughts - Ani-Maybe? actuallypaid.com/2025/09/13/b...

Back Row Thoughts – Ani-Maybe?

The annual quest to complete the Animated Feature category before it starts is a goal I’ve come painfully close to achieving for years now. Every time that I’ve attempted the feat, I&#8…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Sep 7

The latest edition of #TFINYW contains Christian propaganda, lazy horror, and a dystopian thriller retroactively rendered as YA shlock!

This Film Is Not Yet Watchable - September 2025 actuallypaid.com/2025/09/06/t...

This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – September 2025

It’s been a rough one, you guys. With the financial woes and lack of work I’ve suffered over the last year-plus, I’ve had to be very judicious and tight with my funds, so my love …

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Aug 18

The latest #BackRowThoughts column looks at four animated films I took in over a single day as part of my birthday celebrations!

Back Row Thoughts - Wheel of Four Toons actuallypaid.com/2025/08/17/b...

Back Row Thoughts – Wheel of Four Toons

Tomorrow is my birthday, so this weekend I decided I would celebrate a little bit by returning to the multiplex. Despite my financial woes, it is still my goal to stay as far ahead of the potential…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Aug 10

#TheNakedGun isn't perfect, but as legacy sequels go, it's a worthy continuation of a classic franchise, and surprisingly has something meaningful to say alongside the pure, unadulterated shtick!

Living Up to Leslie - The Naked Gun actuallypaid.com/2025/08/09/l...

Living Up to Leslie – The Naked Gun

I admit to having felt a fair degree of trepidation when The Naked Gun was announced. Legacy sequels are, by and large, unnecessary, unwarranted, unwanted, and underwhelming. I understand the natur…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Aug 4

#FantasticFourFirstSteps is good as it is, but it would be great if it was a standalone film not bound by MCU formula tropes!

A Retro Fit - The Fantastic Four: First Steps actuallypaid.com/2025/08/03/a...

A Retro Fit – The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Congratulations to Kevin Feige for making the very best Fantastic Four movie ever… by default. Yeah, it’s not hard to improve upon the unreleased 1994 Roger Corman abomination, the crin…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 31

The August edition of #TFINYW features crap rom-coms, reboots and legacy sequels no one asked for, and a cult horror remake that seems to want an even smaller audience than the original!

This Film Is Not Yet Watchable - August 2025 actuallypaid.com/2025/07/30/t...

This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – August 2025

Two items of business to address right up front. First, my financial/employment situation has not improved, so as you’ve no doubt already noticed, coverage of new movies is down severely at t…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 20

I haven't paid too much attention to the Howell/NFLPA scandal, so apologies if this has already been addressed, but do you think this ultimately makes the union stronger, or does Goodell use it as an excuse to like, bribe Trump to crush it via EO or some shit?

I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 17

I once ran into Henry Winkler at a movie theatre. He was coming out of the men's room, I was going in, and we had that quasi-awkward "Who moves to which side to let the other go by?" moment. I ended up holding the door for him to pass. For the movie, his assigned seat was directly in front of mine.

I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 16

James Gunn's #Superman will make you believe a man can fly, and that maybe we can as well!

More Human Than Humans - Superman actuallypaid.com/2025/07/15/m...

More Human Than Humans – Superman

Superman is the original comic book hero. Sure, what we consider comics existed in various forms for years before his debut in 1938, but once he came into the cultural zeitgeist with Action Comics …

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 10

"Straight Outta Curitiba" gonna be fire.

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 9

- American Idiot, Green Day
- 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day
- Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen
- Paramore, Paramore
- Recovery, Eminem
- The Eminem Show, Eminem
- Amaryllis, Shinedown
- The Strange Case Of..., Halestorm
- Babymetal, Babymetal
- DAMN., Kendrick Lamar

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 8

One of my favorite events on the annual cinematic calendar - the Animation Program at the Brooklyn Film Festival!

BTRP Media Network @btrpmedia.bsky.social · Jul 8

youtube.com/watch?v=i5pN... @actuallypaid.bsky.social @ericmmcclanahan.bsky.social

Brooklyn Film Festival 2025 Animation Program Reviews

YouTube video by Get Behind the Rabbit

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 7

Yay! WYTS might just be my favorite part of every summer... and my birthday is in August. I don't know what that says about me, but I stand by it.

I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 2

The July edition of #TFINYW features more legacy sequels no one asked for, a promise broken at the earliest opportunity, and yet another goddamn Madea movie!

This Film Is Not Yet Watchable - July 2025 actuallypaid.com/2025/07/01/t...

This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – July 2025

You ever get that feeling that no matter how hard you try, everything not only turns out wrong, but seems designed to make life that much worse by its very existence? That’s what the last sev…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 2

My mom once white-knuckled it through the tunnel bridge to get us from DE to Virginia Beach through hurricane conditions. One of many times I thought of her as a goddamn superhero.

I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jul 1

For failing repeatedly to Smurf from their past mistakes, #Smurfs is undeniably "The Worst Trailer in the World... This Month!"

The Worst Smurfer in the Smurf - July 2025 - Smurfs youtu.be/BGw9UDnITTU?... via @YouTube

The Worst Smurfer in the Smurf - July 2025 - Smurfs

YouTube video by I Actually Paid To See This

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jun 28

Sounds like the name of a hipster IPA that your friend is desperate to convince you is worth $15 a bottle.

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jun 27

The latest #DownStream column takes a look at three animated films that came out on the various platforms this month!

DownStream - June Toons actuallypaid.com/2025/06/26/d...

DownStream – June Toons

At the beginning of the year, I set a goal for myself to go full completist on potential contenders for next year’s Animated Feature Oscar race. I’ve tried several times to finish the w…

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jun 26

Reviewing #Elio with 3 Random Words youtu.be/cp7s2rL4it8?... via @YouTube

Reviewing Elio with 3 Random Words

YouTube video by I Actually Paid To See This

youtu.be

I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jun 23

If you've ever wondered why people are disillusioned with the film industry and the Oscars, the Academy tweeting praise for "White Chicks" today should tell you all you need to know.

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I Actually Paid to See This @actuallypaid.bsky.social · Jun 22

Rebecca Ferguson was fucking incredible.